This unit is intended for Honors Chemistry students. This is a mixed level course composed of students in grades 11 and 12. This unit on chemical reactions focuses on how to write chemical equations that describe chemical reactions, how to classify and identify chemical reactions, and how to write ionic equations for reactions that occur in aqueous solution. This unit also includes learning how to recognize evidence of chemical changes, balancing chemical equations, identifying characteristics of each type of chemical reaction, describing aqueous solutions and predicting their products. The purpose of this unit is to help students recognize and understand the chemical reactions that occur in their daily lives and in the world around them. This unit is one of the major building blocks for the rest of the course so it is very important for students to master the topics in this unit in order to be successful in the rest of the course. Students will have many opportunities to learn in this unit, including class and small group work, laboratory experiments, a cumulative project, and a final assessment.
Learning Objectives for Unit:
Students will be able to:
describe physical and chemical changes that they see
recognize evidence of chemical changes by describing the changes that occur.
identify observable signs that a chemical reaction has occurred
determine whether or not a reaction has occurred based on their observations
distinguish between reactants and products in a chemical equation
explain what happens in a chemical reaction using the properties of the reactants and products as evidence
convert between word equations and skeleton equations by writing the correct chemical formulas
describe chemical reactions using skeleton equations, word equations, and balanced chemical equations
represent chemical equations visually by drawing each atom and balancing using this method.
write balanced chemical equations and balance skeleton equations
identify the 5 basic types of chemical reactions: synthesis, combustion, decomposition, single replacement, and double replacement.
classify chemical reactions into the five major categories (synthesis, combustion, decomposition, single replacement, and double replacement).
give an example of each type of chemical reaction.
describe the characteristics of each type of chemical reaction.
predict products of chemical reactions
write balanced chemical equations for reactions
describe evidence of a double replacement reaction
explain how the specific colors in a firework display are created when atoms of a particular element or a combination of elements are energized by the firework's heat
explain that the shape of the firework display is determined by the shape and structure of one particular component inside the firework
describe how each component of a firework has a role in the timing, sound, and visual display that make up a firework
recognize that the chemical reaction necessary for the ignition of a firework is an oxidation reaction in which energy is released by the combination of oxygen with other elements
discuss that when the energy produced by the chemical reactions inside a firework is trapped in a small space, heat is created much more rapidly than it is dissipated, resulting in combustion that causes the firework material to burn
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
For this unit, students' knowledge will be assessed in many ways, including both formative and summative methods. Students will be informally assessed through probing questions, class discussions, and classwork activites. I will monitor student progress throughout these activities and make adjustment based on their performance. I will use this informal assessment to clarify topics that students seem to be struggling with and/or give them more of a challenge if they are finding the subject matter too easy. Students will also be assessed throughout the unit formally through homework assignments , Chemistry Checkpoint daily questions, and lab write-ups. The Chemistry Checkpoint questions will be discussed daily, and then I will collect them. Each assignment will count towards their participation. There will be two summative assessments for this unit: a unit test and an Adopt-a-Chemical Reaction project. Students will work on this project throughout the unit and I will have due dates for specific portions of the project in order to monitor their progress.
Rationale
Timing is crucial in this unit because the topics build off of one another like a pyramid. The topics are broad to begin with, but then they become more advanced and detailed as they go. I will present each topic in chronological order so students will be able to make sense of each topic and make connections to the previous topics. I plan to make this unit meaningful to students by relating the topics to their lives and showing them how chemical reactions affect their lives without them even noticing. I will accomplish this by showing how chemical reactions occur in every aspect of life, from food and the human body, to the environment, to cleaning, and even to fireworks. I will activate prior knowledge by asking them to think about what kinds of chemical reactions they have experienced. I will use many types of instruction in this unit in order to account for the needs of all students. In this unit I will make use of inquiry by exploring the chemical reactions that make fireworks explode and by doing an inquiry-based lab on the evidence of chemical reactions. Students will discover how fireworks work, how different elements create the colored explosions we see, and what affects the shape of the fireworks. Students will be assessed in many ways, using both formative and summative assessment methods. There will be one project and one test for this unit as well as homework assignments and classwork. Students will also be assessed using laboratory experiments. I will be able to assess students on a day-to-day basis through class discussions, monitoring student progress and understanding during experiments and class activities, as well as the daily Chemistry Checkpoint questions.
Title: Making Sense out of Chemical Reactions
Author: Shara NortonGrade Level: 11/12
Course: Honors Chemistry
Purpose of Unit
This unit is intended for Honors Chemistry students. This is a mixed level course composed of students in grades 11 and 12. This unit on chemical reactions focuses on how to write chemical equations that describe chemical reactions, how to classify and identify chemical reactions, and how to write ionic equations for reactions that occur in aqueous solution. This unit also includes learning how to recognize evidence of chemical changes, balancing chemical equations, identifying characteristics of each type of chemical reaction, describing aqueous solutions and predicting their products. The purpose of this unit is to help students recognize and understand the chemical reactions that occur in their daily lives and in the world around them. This unit is one of the major building blocks for the rest of the course so it is very important for students to master the topics in this unit in order to be successful in the rest of the course. Students will have many opportunities to learn in this unit, including class and small group work, laboratory experiments, a cumulative project, and a final assessment.Learning Performances and Standards
GSEs CoveredLearning Objectives for Unit:
Students will be able to:
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Lesson Sequence
Lesson 1 - Introduction to Chemical ReactionsLesson 2 - Balancing Chemical Equations
Lesson 3 - Classifying Chemical Reactions
Lesson 4 - Classifying Chemical Reactions II
Lesson 5 - Igniting Chemistry in Fireworks
Lesson 6 - Unit Test
Assessment Plan
For this unit, students' knowledge will be assessed in many ways, including both formative and summative methods. Students will be informally assessed through probing questions, class discussions, and classwork activites. I will monitor student progress throughout these activities and make adjustment based on their performance. I will use this informal assessment to clarify topics that students seem to be struggling with and/or give them more of a challenge if they are finding the subject matter too easy. Students will also be assessed throughout the unit formally through homework assignments , Chemistry Checkpoint daily questions, and lab write-ups. The Chemistry Checkpoint questions will be discussed daily, and then I will collect them. Each assignment will count towards their participation. There will be two summative assessments for this unit: a unit test and an Adopt-a-Chemical Reaction project. Students will work on this project throughout the unit and I will have due dates for specific portions of the project in order to monitor their progress.Rationale
Timing is crucial in this unit because the topics build off of one another like a pyramid. The topics are broad to begin with, but then they become more advanced and detailed as they go. I will present each topic in chronological order so students will be able to make sense of each topic and make connections to the previous topics. I plan to make this unit meaningful to students by relating the topics to their lives and showing them how chemical reactions affect their lives without them even noticing. I will accomplish this by showing how chemical reactions occur in every aspect of life, from food and the human body, to the environment, to cleaning, and even to fireworks. I will activate prior knowledge by asking them to think about what kinds of chemical reactions they have experienced. I will use many types of instruction in this unit in order to account for the needs of all students. In this unit I will make use of inquiry by exploring the chemical reactions that make fireworks explode and by doing an inquiry-based lab on the evidence of chemical reactions. Students will discover how fireworks work, how different elements create the colored explosions we see, and what affects the shape of the fireworks. Students will be assessed in many ways, using both formative and summative assessment methods. There will be one project and one test for this unit as well as homework assignments and classwork. Students will also be assessed using laboratory experiments. I will be able to assess students on a day-to-day basis through class discussions, monitoring student progress and understanding during experiments and class activities, as well as the daily Chemistry Checkpoint questions.